Options considered to stop goldmine flooding

Authorities are trying to work out how much it will cost to save one of Bendigo's main tourist attractions, the Central Deborah Goldmine, from flooding.

The historic site is connected to an extensive network of shafts operated by Unity Mining, which stopped producing gold in Bendigo in June.

As part of its shutdown, Unity is turning off its water pumps, which is expected to cause groundwater levels to rise next year.

The Bendigo council's Craig Niemann says it is possible that will put the viability of the Central Deborah mine at risk.

"That's something that will have to be considered once we know what the details of the solution might be and the costs of the solution and who's going to fund that," he said.

"The trust runs on a fairly tight budget and it is an important part of the tourism offer, so it's held in high regard in terms of a tourist attraction and we need to think about the importance of that versus the potential costs."

Unity's Andrew Mattiske says the company is doing what it can to help the council and the Bendigo Trust work out the best option.

"Certainly they need to recommission and re-engineer some pumping arrangements," he said.

"But at this stage we're working closely together and there's ultimately a workable solution and we just need to explore the options and identify what the best and most cost-effective way to do that is."